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Onside Access Predicts: 2018 Standings

As promised earlier on in our wrap-up series, we have put together our projected standings for this upcoming season. I’ll toss in a brief write-up for any decision that may seem questionable. Anything else that could be of interest can be found in our offseason wrap-ups, and I’ll toss in a link to each below the divisions.

So, here is how we think the league will shake up this year:

Atlantic

1. Canadiens

2. Lightning

3. Senators

4. Maple Leafs

5. Bruins

6. Sabres

7. Panthers

8. Red Wings

There was much deliberation over who to put at the top of the division, but ultimately the Habs took top spot due to having a specific star goalie in the crease. Keep your eye on Tampa, however, because they can definitely challenge.

Central

1. Stars

2. Blues

3. Predators

4. Blackhawks

5. Wild

6. Jets

7. Avalanche

This one was tough, because I’m really not too sure what to expect from certain teams here. Predators slotted into the third spot, mostly because we thought they’ll do their early-season inconsistent number, and then recover in time for the playoffs. They seem like that “closest team to the cup” squad, but they’ll wait until the postseason to fully demonstrate that.

Pacific

1. Ducks

2. Oilers

3. Flames

4. Sharks

5. Kings

6. Coyotes

7. Canucks

8. Golden Knights

The Canucks and the Knights could be some of the highest bidders in the league for the top spot in the 2018 NHL Draft. There could be some surprises and positional changes, but this seemed to be the most realistic possibility